Garuda Bonus Story
This is the bonus story unlocked by purchasing the Garuda AGF Banquet Set on the holopro shop. This set is no longer available, so despite the original story being password protected, I am making my translation public. Enjoy!
One evening, a tea party was being held in one of Garuda’s grand reception rooms.
In chairs covered with intricate designs sat Roberu, Miyabi, and Fuma, a myriad of teas and snacks laid before them. It might have looked like a peaceful scene from any old day, but the atmosphere surrounding them was strangely tense.
“Hello, you three. Apologies for the wait.”
Coming in at last was Astel, tearing through that oppressive atmosphere. Though he seemed to move slowly, easily, even—he lowered himself into his appointed seat with an unabashed smile.
“‘Apologies for the wait’ doesn’t cut it. Do you know how long we’ve been sitting here?”
“Sorry, sorry. It took longer than I expected to get everything straightened out.”
“‘Straightened out’? What do you mean?”
“Does it have anything to do with why you called us here?”
“You could say that, I suppose.”
“…”
Palpable tension percolated amongst the three of them.
In Garuda, a tea party was held whenever the boss wanted to condemn a member of the family. They realized that, if this ‘straightening out’ had anything to do with their tea party, something truly bad had occurred.
Astel, who had summoned the three of them here, swallowed his tea in a single sip. He took a deep breath, and began to speak.
“I’ve called you all here because a traitor was discovered in one of the other gangs.”
“What!?”
Amongst the three of them, all bracing themselves, the one who cried out first was Fuma. The youngest’s eyes widened in genuine surprise, and Roberu, sitting next to him, grimaced and rested his chin in his hand.
“If you’re talking about another gang, then it’s probably either Blanca or Kuzuryu-kai… It might have nothing to do with us, but it’s still a big deal.”
“Exactly. Cracks in the foundation turn up no matter where you are.”
“So it seems.”
Astel gave a tiny nod to Miyabi, who wore distress plainly on face. Then, he dropped another devastating bomb on them.
“Well, that’s part of the reason you’re here. Just to be safe, I wanted to talk with you all about any potential traitors in our midst.”
The three of them gasped at once. The word “traitor” rang clear in their memories, having just come up the other day. Remembering what had happened then, Fuma shook his head as if he didn’t understand.
“What? Um, but, didn’t we settle that—”
“Yeah. We decided to put our discussion on hold. But the circumstances have changed a bit since then. I thought this would be a good opportunity to talk it over again… excuse me.”
Astel suddenly stopped speaking, breaking out into a laborious, hacking cough.
“Oi, are you okay?”
“I’m—fine… agh.”
Refusing to settle down, the cough became even more violent, and soon Astel was doubled over clutching his chest.
“Astel!”
The one who immediately caught him was Roberu, who had been sitting closest to Astel. He propped his master up, holding him in place to keep him upright. In the process, one of the teacups was knocked over, its contents spilling as it rolled away.
“D-did the traitor poison him!?”
“No! Let me examine him…!”
“Miyabi, wait!”
Roberu kept the frantic Miyabi at bay with a sharp cry. He lowered Astel to lay upon the rug, and faced Miyabi with icy judgment in his eyes.
“Did you poison him?”
“What…?”
“Well? Answer me.”
“Wh-what are you saying?! Miyabi-san would never do such a thing! Doesn’t that make you sound like the traitor, Roberu-san!?”
Fuma yelled out in lieu of Miyabi, who had gasped in shock. Not long ago, Fuma had learned through his divinations that Roberu had been associating with members of another organization. Ever since then, he had been suspicious of Roberu. But Roberu gave him a firm shake of his head, denying the allegation.
“It’s not me. Miyabi is the traitor here. Astel knows that, too.”
“Wha…! You’re lying!”
“Our friend here would know best if it’s a lie or not. …Wouldn’t you, Miyabi?”
“…”
“M-Miyabi-san…?”
He waited, but Miyabi said nothing to fight it. The only thing reflected in his eyes was Astel, struggling to breathe. He gazed at Roberu, almost as if pleading with him.
“Even if it is true, I did not poison Astel. Please, let me examine him.”
“…One wrong move, and I will kill you where you stand.”
“Of course.”
“…”
After a moment of deliberation, Roberu reluctantly nodded. Miyabi, now having his consent, immediately began to examine Astel. Fuma was the only one out of the loop.
Wh-why didn’t Miyabi-san deny it? There’s no way he’s really…
The answer soon came from Miyabi himself, who was measuring Astel’s pulse.
“How did you know that I was the spy?”
“Because your father lost his life getting caught up in Garuda’s schemes.”
“…”
“It’s only natural to suspect someone that has a grudge. Am I wrong?”
“Wait—wait a second!”
Unable to stand Roberu’s conceitful expression any longer, Fuma raised his voice. Roberu promptly fell quiet, and gave Fuma a look, as if he were questioning his intent. Though he practically flinched at Roberu’s unusually sharp eyes, Fuma frantically continued.
“What do you mean, ‘Garuda’s schemes’? Why does an outsider like you know something like that!?”
“…I got close to Garuda in order to do some investigating. I explained all of this to Astel—that’s why he appointed me as his bodyguard.”
Roberu gazed at Astel, eyes shut tight and breathing heavily.
“Astel wanted to investigate the inner workings of Garuda himself, so he took me on. Somewhere along the way, I learned about Miyabi’s father. Of course, Astel is also aware.”
“And that… he was involved in Garuda’s plans…?”
Fuma muttered, still only half convinced. Miyabi, without stopping his treatment, nodded at him.
“I must have spoken to you about it once before, Fuma. My father… he was a physician, just like myself and the rest of our family. He was incredibly skilled. Kind, caring for his patients over all else… He was someone truly worthy of respect.”
As if reminiscing on those days, Miyabi’s voice was tender. But soon, his tone completely changed to that of disdain.
“However, he lost his life nearly ten years ago. Back then, I hadn’t known the reasons behind it. But after doing some research, I discovered that there is a connection between members of the Garuda family and a certain research facility.”
“So, you mean…”
“Yes. My father was murdered. By none other than the Garuda family.”
“…”
Fuma was at a loss for words.
Garuda—their home—was indeed a place mired in conflicting perspectives and internal power struggles. But Fuma had believed that these tumultuous conditions were because of the fight for succession over the gang. Once Astel took over as head of the family, surely things would settle down—he was almost optimistic about it.
But hearing that this had been going on since ten years ago, he could feel his foundation start to crumble.
This… this is the reality of the Garuda that Astel-san wants to destroy.
Disregarding Fuma’s silence, the conversation between the other two continued.
“But I must say, I am surprised. To think that you knew all of this, Roberu-san.”
“Don’t give me that shit. Don’t make it out like you haven’t noticed me keeping an eye on you all this time.”
“…Well, I kind of had a feeling you were judging me.”
Miyabi let out a shallow breath, and cast his gaze downwards. Astel, skin pale and eyes listlessly shut, was on the verge of losing consciousness. As he was, Miyabi could only ask his question in his mind.
How long have you known?
There were moments where Miyabi wondered if Astel had noticed. But every time, he would feel Astel’s complete and utter faith in him, and dismiss his suspicions with a shake of his head. There was no way it could be true. Miyabi quietly chided himself, now realizing that his longtime friend was a much better actor than he could have ever imagined.
“I was against it, but Astel insisted that he could trust you. There’s no way you would betray his trust—would you?”
“…Of course not.”
“You little…”
Even as Roberu’s bloodlust spilled forth, Miyabi continued, practically unfazed.
“I wanted to take revenge for my father, and so I joined Ouroboros. But that’s not my only reason. The plot that Garuda supported brought misfortune to so many people. It’s the same with all the conflicts across Seikyoku. All the power struggles are being manipulated behind the scenes.”
“But, that’s…!”
“And even though he is the boss’s son, Astel is in danger too, simply for investigating Garuda.”
“…”
“As a physician, and as Astel’s friend, I cannot sit idly and let this all happen.”
“Miyabi-san…”
Fuma found it harder to breathe, after hearing Miyabi’s grand declaration.
It seemed that Miyabi had already resigned himself to his fate, confessing to this extent. No matter how this would to play out, they could no longer go back to how things were. Even Fuma, who knew the least about the situation, could tell that much.
It’s clear how much he cares for Astel-san, though…
Roberu must have thought the same, as he silently allowed Miyabi to give Astel a medicinal tonic.
“…I’m sorry.”
As the last drop of the tonic slipped past Astel’s lips, Miyabi murmured his apology. To Fuma and Roberu, those little words seemed to convey something sincere and wholehearted.
With his treatment seemingly completed, Miyabi beckoned Roberu over.
“He should be fine, now. Come see for yourself.”
“…Alright.”
With the care of someone handing over a priceless treasure, Miyabi entrusted Astel to Roberu. Roberu carefully took hold of his master’s body, when—
“!? Wait!”
Miyabi took advantage the second his guard was down, quickly turning around.
On pure instinct Roberu moved to grab Miyabi’s arm, but before he could, he heard something cut through the air.
In the next instant, a needle was pierced in the back of Roberu’s hand. It was one that Miyabi used for acupuncture, lodged deep in his skin. It didn’t hurt a bit, but the mobility in his hand soon weakened, as if it were numbed.
“Gh…! Fuma, after him!”
“Ah, yes!”
“Let him go.”
The one who stopped Fuma in his tracks was none other than Astel, still held in Roberu’s arms. At some point, he had regained consciousness, and was now gazing up at the bewildered pair.
“Astel! You’re alright…”
“Apologies for worrying you. I must have had an attack all of a sudden.”
“So that’s what it was… not poison, then.”
“Miyabi would never use poison on me.”
Astel slowly sat up, and stared into the open air, as if searching for the long-gone Miyabi.
“He’s gone, then. I wish I could have spoken up sooner.”
“…How long have you been awake?”
“Since Miyabi and Roberu started talking. I think Miyabi probably noticed.”
“Right… Are you fine with not going after him? I could still catch him if I go now.”
“It’s fine. The traitors in the other gangs have already made their moves—I’m sure Miyabi is going to meet with them.”
“And you’re alright with that?”
“Just as I’ve always said, we’re a team that joined forces to each chase after our own goals. And besides, even if Miyabi leaves our team, I still have faith in him.”
Astel’s confident smile ushered Fuma and Roberu into silence. Their worry must have shown on their faces, though, as Astel threw Fuma a wink.
“Fuma, if you’re that concerned, try divining it. You’ll see that Miyabi isn’t really a traitor.”
“…Okay.”
Just as he was instructed, Fuma began his divination ritual. To receive prophecies, Fuma required no tools or objects; sometimes they were necessary, but if he focused carefully enough, he could make the scene appear in his mind.
Is Miyabi-san a traitor…? No, he’s not. Miyabi-san will return to us—
Astel shifted his gaze from Fuma, whose eyes were shut tight, and grinned at Roberu. A troubled expression still remained on his bodyguard’s face.
“Miyabi may have left, but that doesn’t change what we need to do. We will stand at Garuda’s peak, and transform this corrupted gang. I’ll still be needing your help.”
“…If that’s what you want.”
“I would have it no other way.”
Roberu took Astel’s outstretched hand tightly in his own, still numb, and helped him stand. He moved to support Astel’s tottering body, but he gently sidestepped out of the way. Perhaps he wanted to stand on his own two feet. He found Astel’s pride to be both touching and reassuring.
“Anyways, I have to say I’m glad.”
“Huh?”
“It doesn’t seem like you’re terribly angry with him.”
“‘Course not, hearing him be so grimly resolute.”
Roberu thought of Miyabi, and how he and Astel were the same, not wanting to ask for others’ help. If what Miyabi had said was true, then he was ultimately acting with Astel’s—and his companions’—futures in mind. Maybe, then, Astel was right, and he could not be considered a traitor in the whole sense of the word.
…That’s right. I missed my chance to say it again.
He hadn’t told Miyabi, but Roberu had known his father when he was alive. Roberu still hadn’t relayed the message his father had entrusted him with.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Just thinking of something I should have told Miyabi earlier.”
“And that would be?”
“…A message for him.”
“Aah…”
He hadn’t said whom it was from, but Astel, knowing his circumstances, had understood. A wistful look flickered in his eyes for a moment.
“One day, you’ll tell him.”
“I guess so… If we ever manage to see him again—”
“Everything will be fine!”
The bright voice that pierced the air belonged to Fuma. His divination must have finished at some point. He grinned at the other two, eyes gleaming with fervor.
“Miyabi-san will come back. That is what I saw in my divination!”
“Really… Hmm, is that so. I figured as much.”
“You say it like that, but you look pretty happy, don’t you?”
“I’m acting normal, aren’t I? Anyways, that means we’ll have to leave the physician role open. For when Miyabi returns to us.”
“Yes!”
Thanks to his fortune-teller’s excited nod, a smile bloomed across Astel’s lips.
This would be a temporary farewell, until the day came when he returned to their side. Thinking that way, Astel couldn’t stay melancholic for long.
I’ll keep working towards my goals and wait for you, Miyabi…
And thus, with new resolve stirring deep within each of their hearts, the tempestuous Garuda tea party came to an end.