Although many of those present had heard of Shisui's power and abilities, and some of them, as his closest friends had even seen him demonstrate his skills or heard of his experience and knowledge from the Sage himself, this was certainly the first time they had seen Shisui do anything that could be considered cruel.
Cruel was perhaps an understatement, for although none of them had experienced the pain Hong must have felt as he felt the water being drained from his body, they could imagine it from the state he was in.
Hong's condition was much worse than they thought, as a noble old woman, who was part of the group accompanying Hong, stumbled due to the shock of the event, and her foot accidentally collided with the dried corpse on the ground.
It was then that they realized the gravity of the situation, for Hong's body had been reduced to dust, and his luxurious clothes were now stained with his remains.
This sight struck fear into the hearts of those with evil intentions, making them all the more nervous. It should not have been like this! They should have pressured Fire Lord Ozai, taking advantage of his possible vulnerability due to the loss of his father, to achieve their goals step by step.
They were aware that Ozai and Shisui did not interact much, which made them think that there might be some animosity between them; no matter if Shisui was technically Ozai's son-in-law, this engagement was arranged by Azulon.
And that competent Fire Lord would let his princess get together with a person of Shisui's origin? Especially since he was technically the royalty of the enemy village!
They didn't understand what an excellent job Azulon had done in his old age to keep his family together. Although a ruthless Fire Lord, Azulon was no fool and knew the perfect way to keep his family united.
Although Ozai did have some resentment towards Shisui, it was more for the fact that he wanted his son-in-law, no father likes his daughter's husband, and apart from a few casual remarks like calling Shisui a "little monster", Ozai had a lot of respect and even esteem for him.
Shisui allowed him to have a third daughter! And his nights were so much more comfortable and relaxing, helping him to deal with the stress of being a competent Fire Lord. Why should he hate Shisui? he had helped him many times!
But if there was one person with the strongest emotional fluctuation among those present, it was Azula. There was hatred for those nobles who were trying to separate her from Shisui, all as input for their future machinations.
For if such a situation were to occur, it would set a precedent that would undermine the Fire Lord's authority, even fostering an environment where 'the ideas of many would influence important decisions', which might be considered a new system of government, but also a form of rebellion and coup d'état.
Though the nobles may not have thought that far ahead, seeking only to have more power, a voice, and a vote in the most important and serious matters of the Fire Nation, Azula, as someone who grew up with Shisui and with unparalleled political acumen, came to that conclusion rather quickly.
So there was anger in her eyes, and she did not attempt to hide it as she glared murderously at the group of rebellious nobles, as she had personally labelled them.
But she tried to calm herself, though she felt a twinge of morbid pleasure at the sight of Shisui demonstrating her bloodthirsty side, even making her heart race, she had to speak, she had to explain something.
This would be the first of many times in the future that Azula's actions and words would affirm the hegemony of the royal family in the Fire Nation, even though she was not the heir.
Because if there was one thing in her life that meant so much to her, besides Shisui, it was her family. She simply made a face with a hint of disdain, and as she pulled her black hair back, her voice rang out.
"If this were a normal wedding, the late Mr. Hong would be one of those who would object to how badly he died.
But... what made him think he had the right to oppose and interfere in the decisions of the royal family? No, what do you think gives you the right to even try to decide who I marry or what decisions my family and I make internally?
Your nobility and status? Your honor and military exploits? Money, resources? You forget that everything you have is because we offered it to you!
You are noble because we allowed you the privilege of feeling noble, you are generals because we allowed you to rise, and you are rich because we gave you benefits like land and trade routes.
What are you without the Fire Nation? Without the royal family? Nothing! There is no difference between you and the commoners except the environment you live in, but everything you have is because of the royal family, the Fire Lord.
The Royal Family? Since it was Agni's voice that led my ancestor to leave the Sun Warrior group to find a more suitable territory, we have been given the privilege to lead the Fire Nation.
Only Agni can control it, and even then, if Agni would dare tell me to abandon my family or separate from Shisui... well, sometimes the sun burns the skin too much, don't you think?" Azula looked at everyone with her golden eyes like a bird of prey, and a smile of utter contempt distorted her face before she laughed with a madness that seemed to rise from her bones.
She could be mentally stable, of that there was no doubt, but she never let go of the more savage and bloodthirsty traits she had inherited from her father; unlike her canonical counterpart, she was in control, not her emotions.
So she deliberately released this trait of her personality to make a point: she would kill those who touched her reverse scales! With that, blue fire erupted from his right hand in a threatening gesture.
"Princess Azula, we understand your feelings, but Shisui's recent actions pose a very..." An older, white-bearded general stepped forward, trying to convince Azula, only he never expected the princess' actions.
A jet of highly concentrated blue flame was shot towards the General, and although he had an aged body, he was an experienced Firebender, so he threw a punch in an attempt to defend himself.
Even so, his body was thrown backwards, and his hand ended up scalded from not being able to defend himself properly against Azula's sudden attack.
Azula's fury was palpable even in her flames, her body lurching forward in pursuit of the general she had attacked. Jets of blue flame propelled her forward, increasing her speed, while claws of blue fire appeared in her hands, ready to capture her prey.
Azula's fiery claws dug into the man's flesh, and the flames penetrated his body, brutally burning him from the inside out. The man's body was reduced to charred remains that fell at the feet of the princess, whose smile and gaze terrified many.
It was Azula's series of violent actions that spurred people who already had disloyal thoughts, consumed by a mixture of fear, greed, and opportunism, into action.
If they seized the moment, they could take Ursa or Kiyi hostage and get something done, otherwise, they would die. These thoughts led them to try to approach Ursa and her daughter, but they were not the only ones here.
There were many loyalists among the crowd, and the open field that was to be the stage for the cremation of Azulon's body became a battle between two sides.
Zhao, who was among those attending the funeral, had some doubts; he had much in common with the ideas of the 'rebels', but in the end he sided with the true rulers of the Fire Nation, all because deep down he was a man who longed for true honor.
Iroh, who did not entirely approve of Shisui's violent actions, decided to talk to him alone, not wanting the young man he had watched grow up to go down a dark path because of what had happened, and though he trusted Shisui, it was never too much to talk man to man from time to time.
But as a prince of the Fire Nation and a retired general, his side in this dispute had been decided from the start, so he placed himself in front of Ursa, protecting her from several attackers.
At that moment, a contingent of armed men approached, as if they had received a signal from someone. This was the ace in the hole for these nobles, for if they had failed in their task, they would have tried to take drastic measures.
The follies that could be perpetrated by someone who, after being immersed in the advantages that certain circumstances offered, was deprived of them were many. These people, born of war and twisted by it, had lost many of their advantages due to the lack of conflict.
Ozai watched the events unfold with a coldness that was in stark contrast to the element he so masterfully manipulated, and with a simple gesture, a few people jumped out of the shadows to join the fray.
"It looks like everything is under control, but there are other guests," Shisui said suddenly, causing Zuko to stand next to him and look off into the distance.
He had no special vision like Shisui or Ty Lee, but his sixth sense was sharpened by his mastery of the sword, so he could sense a strong threat from the direction Shisui was looking.
"Zuko, go with Shisui," Ozai said suddenly, making Zuko turn to face him.
"Your sister, your cousin, and my brother can take care of everything, but it is your duty as heir to stop those who have nothing to do with the Fire Nation." Ozai did not know who the enemies from afar were, but they were most likely an outside support with malicious intentions towards his nation.
Zuko nodded, feeling the weight of his father's words. Though Ozai never openly shared his feelings with him, his expressions and occasional words revealed the high expectations he had for his son, his firstborn, his heir.
Shisui, hearing all this, could not help but smile. That was what he liked about this world, not having to stick to a script or an official story that had to be followed to the letter, a real world where he could step in and witness an unthinkable moment - Ozai trusting Zuko.
"Looks like we'll be fighting together again, Shisui," Zuko said to Shisui, whom he truly considered a brother and trusted very much.
"Yes... I never felt the need to use the spear the old man sent me, you know, I always used ice spears, but today..." A water whip with a somewhat sticky consistency brought Shisui a two-meter black spear.
The shaft was made of a special wood with a hardness similar to steel without losing its elasticity, and the tip was also made of a special meteorite metal. It was an incredibly heavy spear, so rough that it looked like a large club, but he held it with ease.
Perhaps because of the difference between an ice spear and a real one, the moment Shisui held this weapon, a smile full of bloodlust and battle appeared on Shisui's face.
His enemies came closer and closer, a small group of people led by two distinctive figures. Lu Ten, who was protecting Kiyi, noticed the strange woman leading them, and noticed that she looked very much like the noblewoman kneeling on the ground, weeping inconsolably over the dusty remains of her father, Hong.
Then a strange realization hit him, and a shiver ran down his spine as he realized how close he had come to death. Not only that, but the woman kept staring at him with murderous intent, but Zuko stepped in front of her.
Having prevented part of the situation, Zuko had also brought his weapons and hidden them, but Shisui had just handed them to him, so he drew his two swords and covered them in fire with solid consistency.
"I am your enemy, stranger," Zuko said, looking at the woman whose features showed her Fire Nation heritage.
Shisui, on the other hand, walked towards the unknown man with brown skin and blue eyes, sensing much more clearly that his enemy was a Waterbender.
Sage Shisui saw the man's weapon, and the smile on his face widened as he saw the white bone spear the Waterbender was holding. With the black spear resting carelessly on his shoulders, Shisui did not hesitate to speak.
"Looks like someone is trying to imitate me!"
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AN: Hey Eli_reader, can I use the cover you made for the fanfic? Just asking, just in case~
About Zhao: He could be a lot of bad things, but never a traitor!
Azula madness: If Zuko inherited the softness of his mother, Azula inherited her father's bad temper xD. But she knows how to control it, she isn't a slave of her emotions like the canon Azula.
Shisui: He remebered all of his past lifes, especially the last one, he isn't a crazy killer, but he knows how to kill painfuly.
Ozai: This is an Ozai with a different path, remember that this is an AU.
Ursa: MILF.
Iroh: GOAT.
Lu Ten: Invisible boi.
Kiyi: Wants fight.
North Pole: ¡Shisui is one of us! ¡One of us! ¡One of us!
Toph: Oh, I see.
Ok I stop it. I'm happy today~
Ehm, if you are going to leave a review, try to make it about the fanfic, saying the good, the bad and what could be improved, please refrain from spam or personal attacks. c: