Chapter 19: A Fleeting Blade

Karizome Tenhyo.

His spirit was at its breaking point, and the place he was heading for was neutral territory.

It was an association for sorcerers, established by the government managing the small nation. Under their watch, it prevented any information about the existence of sorcerers from leaking.

Still, many sorcerers exploited civilians, but with a special request—a hefty bribe—they could get away with it, overlooked by the sorcerers’ own laws.

Simply walking through the city streets was no problem for a sorcerer.

But the city was also filled with those who watched them.

Civilians, paid by other sorcerers to monitor their rivals’ movements.

Or sometimes, the watchers were sorcerers themselves.

Ordinarily, he would have been careful not to enter another house’s territory.

But Karizome Tenhyo was desperate.

…

He gave no thought to his path.

He walked only for his one single-minded purpose.

Unthinking, he had taken the easy way out.

The reason he wasn’t targeted by other sorcerers was likely because his mental state was plain to see.

No one went out of their way to bother a man who radiated the same aura as someone on the verge of suicide.

(If I just file the application, then… I won’t be a sorcerer anymore.)

Neutral territory.

Karizome Tenhyo stood before the Sorcerer’s Association building.

What he had longed for was finally within his grasp.

Or rather, he would finally be free of it.

Withdrawal from the Tsuchikurenai-ke.

He could escape the life he’d led as a puppet, as a slave.

All he had to do was enter the Association, file a withdrawal application, and he could live as a human being.

(Once that’s done, I can say goodbye to this hell.)

He thought about a new life. He could sell the sorcerous arts ingrained in his flesh and the organs that housed his spiritual power. At the very least, he wouldn’t have to worry about money for a good while as he started a life as a human. After leaving this place, he’d rent a room somewhere, and live a normal, human life. That’s what he had thought before he arrived.

(And yet…)

Just before.

Before he could step into the Sorcerer’s Association.

A conversation he’d had with his sister replayed in his mind.

“Let’s run away.”

The bathing area. He had said this to his sister, whose body had been defiled. She said nothing, merely cleansing her body. He had probably tried desperately to persuade her. That no matter how much her body was tainted, she shouldn’t give in to despair. Yes, he had offered her nothing but sweet, convenient words.

“If you would just escape, Onii-chan… that would be enough.”

But she refused to flee the Tsuchikurenai-ke. No… even if she did escape, a normal life of happiness was no longer possible for her.

“For me, it’s… it’s impossible now… because…”

She stepped out of the bath. He saw his sister’s naked body through the steam. Seeing her form, Karizome Tenhyo was rendered speechless.

“He took a liking to me… look.”

Her body. On her lower abdomen, the name of the man who had stolen her first night was carved. Her body still wet, she wept.

“He had his name carved into me… so now I can never, ever escape.”

A tattoo that would never fade, marking her as a favorite. Having been branded with it, her life was no longer defined as that of a person, but of a toy.

“That’s why, just you, Onii-chan.”

She herself was beyond saving. But Karizome Tenhyo… he could still go back to being human.

“Be happy.”

After hearing her words. He’d spent his days in a daze, and before he knew it, he had arrived at the Sorcerer’s Association. Karizome Tenhyo chewed on her words. Again and again, he tried to choose to live for himself.

(Just me… be happy…)

But this man was indecisive. After agonizing for so long over making that choice for himself, he faltered.

“Just me, only me…”

He turned on his heel and grit his teeth. The indecisive man finally rejected that choice.

“How can I just turn tail and run…?!”

It was a choice made far too late. And yet, the man had made his resolve. Even though returning meant only the worst possible path remained.

Karizome Tenhyo had no hesitation. His precious sister had been violated. This grudge would never be settled. He regretted not making this choice from the very beginning.

“Come out… Come out!! Onomi Rokuzan!!”

He screamed. He shouted the name of Onomi Rokuzan, the man who had been won over by the Tsuchikurenai-ke and betrayed his own main house. Appearing in response to his voice were the retainers of the Tsuchikurenai-ke. However, Onomi Rokuzan was not among them.

“What do you want?” “He’s got a sword.” “Treason?” “Foolish man.”

One after another, they hurled insults at Karizome Tenhyo.

They were under the protection of Tsuchikurenai Hyakurei.

They pointed their hands toward Karizome Tenhyo.

The Puppet Sorcery required its target to obey the command needles implanted in their body.

Those controlled by the Puppet Sorcery were given the order of absolute obedience, and before the retainers blessed by that same sorcery, the slaves had no choice but to submit.

“Kill yourself.”

The command was given to Karizome Tenhyo.

But he did not accept it, instead drawing his blade and slashing at the retainers.

“Impossible! The command needles should be in him!”

“Why won’t he obey the command?!”

As they shouted in confusion, Karizome Tenhyo fought a war within himself. His body was trying to obey the command, but the Puppet Sorcery’s power did not extend to his conscious, thinking brain. Threads from his Suture Sorcery, spread via sigils, were wound all throughout his body. By controlling the threads with his mind, he suppressed the body’s attempts to follow the command, moving his own limbs with the threads instead.

He was manipulating himself like a marionette controlled by its own strings.

Men had their arms severed by his blade, were cut down from shoulder to hip, or were run through the stomach; casualties mounted.

“Aieee!!” “Damn it, it’s a rebellion!!” “Everyone, to arms!!”

He screamed, issuing the order.

The slave girls who, moments before, had been serving to please the Tsuchikurenai-ke retainers, now came forward.

“Dammit…!!”

Shouting, Karizome Tenhyo used his Suture Sorcery on the rooftops, shooting threads from his fingertips to anchor himself, then used them to move like he was on wires.

He launched himself to the roof and immediately fled.

He and those girls were all victims of the Tsuchikurenai-ke.

He could not bring himself to lay a hand on them.

“That bastard Karizome Tenhyo!!” “He’s getting away! That man!!” “Unforgivable… to wound me!!”

The Tsuchikurenai-ke retainers seethed with fury.

One of them, as if to calm the rage, let a smile creep across his face.

“Hold on, I just had a brilliant idea.”

And so, the retainers listened intently to the man’s proposal, and then grinned sinisterly.

“That’s a good one.”

“Karizome Tenhyo’s sister…”

“Get Karizome Hyoka.”

Laughing, many of the Tsuchikurenai-ke pursued Karizome Tenhyo.

From behind, the naked slave girls gave chase.

“Chase him, chase him!” “Force him this way!!”

The Tsuchikurenai-ke retainers shouted with glee, as if they were on a hunt.

Watching their hideous display, Karizome Tenhyo ground his teeth and let out a roar of fury.

“Where are you?! Where are you, Onomi Gakugaku!!”

He couldn’t bring himself to fight the girls.

He had to find the target of his revenge, and fast.

Not that his wishy-washy actions were doing anything but making his own situation worse.

“I-I’m so sorry!!”

A voice.

Apparently, a sorcerer had been hiding.

As she spoke, her figure appeared.

He tried to react instantly, but it was useless.

Her attack sent a powerful shock through Karizome Tenhyo’s head.

“Gah…!”

His consciousness scattered.

A long time, a short time.

He couldn’t even tell as a dark void spread out before him.

He felt his mind gradually begin to surface.

But it was not a consciousness returning to reality.

It was a dream, a reliving of a time long past.

“What’s wrong, Hyoka?”

He said his sister’s name.

A child, playing in the park.

His sister, one of the children, had fallen and was crying.

Blood trickled from her knee and nose as she wiped away tears with her hands.

“Onii-chan, I’m bleeding.”

Hearing her report, he nodded.

“Come on, I’ll patch you up…”

Ignoring the blood on her hands, he led her to a water fountain.

He ran the water to wash away the blood; it splattered with the water onto his clothes, staining them.

Seeing her brother like this, his sister looked like she was about to cry again, feeling like a nuisance.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…”

As she apologized again and again, Karizome Tenhyo’s face clouded with worry.

“Don’t cry… It hurt, didn’t it?”

He didn’t care about getting dirty.

Seeing his precious sister cry was far sadder.

At that moment, the devoted older brother cherished his sister more than anyone.

“Onii-chan, your hands are dirty.”

“It’s nothing. As long as you’re okay, that’s all that matters.”

“I’m sorry,”

Karizome Hyoka said again.

Hearing this, he shook his head, denying her apology.

“Instead of that, I’d much rather you just said ‘thank you’.”

He wasn’t doing this to be apologized to.

He was doing it all just because he wanted to see her smile.

That was why Karizome Tenhyo hated his sister’s apologies.

Sensing this, she wiped away her tears.

With a gap-toothed grin, she beamed.

“…Okay, I get it. Onii-chan, um…”

And yet…

He never heard her words of thanks.

“—I’m sorry.”

A real voice, coming from the outside world.

And with that, Karizome Tenhyo was dragged back to reality.

Karizome Tenhyo awoke to a splitting headache.

“Kah…!”

He was speechless at the sight before him.

The retainers of the Tsuchikurenai-ke and the enslaved girls stood in a circle, surrounding him.

And in the center of that ring stood Karizome Tenhyo and one other familiar face.

“Oh! He’s awake!” “Go on, try and kill her, Tenhyo!!”

The rabble.

They cried out in delight.

His own sister, Karizome Hyoka, was being forced to hold a sword.

She stood before her brother, poised as if for a duel to the death.

“…Ah, you bastards…!”

This was some sick joke. Karizome Tenhyo despised them all.

They wanted a spectacle: a fight to the death between him and his own sister.

From the circle of people, a middle-aged man stepped forward.

He reached out and grabbed Karizome Hyoka’s breast.

“Well, what’s wrong? Get on with it.”

He squeezed hard, and she couldn’t help but let out a strangled cry.

“Ngh…!”

His sister was being shamed.

Seeing this, Karizome Tenhyo screamed in a fit of rage.

“Onomi!! You bastard, betraying Rokuzan-san like that!!”

Onomi Gakugaku.

The younger brother of Onomi Rokuzan.

He was also the man who had defected to the Tsuchikurenai-ke.

At his screams, the man just laughed provocatively.

“Gwahahaha! I was so damn relieved when that idiot died!!”

That was how Onomi Gakugaku cursed the betrayal of his own brother.

He seemed to find it utterly exhilarating.

Onomi Gakugaku looked around.

The enslaved girls, sensing his gaze, looked away.

Their faces twisted in pain, their minds filled with shame.

Watching their every move, Onomi Gakugaku soaked in his own superiority.

“The Tsuchikurenai-ke is great! So many stupid women here to moan for me over and over again!”

Onomi Gakugaku must have lived a miserable life before his betrayal.

His expression now was one of radiant joy, a world away from what must have been a grim and brooding past.

“If I can get this life of debauchery just by betraying that fool, I’ll do it as many times as it takes!!”

To mock his own flesh and blood to such an extent.

To Onomi Gakugaku, his brother must have been nothing more than an obstacle in his life.

Repulsed by the crazed glee in his voice, Karizome Tenhyo gave in to his anger and rose to his feet.

“You bastard…!”

He pointed the sword in his hand at Onomi Gakugaku.

Seeing the blade aimed at him, Gakugaku instantly grabbed Karizome Hyoka and used her as a shield.

“Whoopsie! Gonna point that blade at your own sister?! How tragic! After shedding her blood as a woman, to then be made to bleed by her own brother’s hand… what an unfortunate life!!”

As expected from the man who had taken Karizome Tenhyo’s sister’s virginity.

Every single word and action was perfectly crafted to get under his skin.

“Shut up!! Right now, I’m gonna…!!”

I’ll kill you and end this revenge. Then Karizome Hyoka will have no reason to stay here. I’ll take her and we’ll escape this hell.

For Karizome Hyoka’s sake, Karizome Tenhyo became desperate.

“Now, do it! Kill him! Kill him!!”

Onomi Gakugaku gave the order.

Karizome Hyoka began to move in response.

I have to find a way to neutralize Hyoka and take down Gakugaku.

That was what he was thinking, when…

“O-Onii-chan…”

Karizome Hyoka whispered faintly.

Trying not to worry her, Karizome Tenhyo spoke gently.

“Don’t worry. I’ll end this quick. No matter how tainted you are, I’ll make you so happy it’ll blow it all away! Before you’re killed like a puppet, I’ll slaughter every last one of…”

Karizome Tenhyo never got to finish his sentence.

Tears streaming down her face, Karizome Hyoka slowly turned the sword toward herself.

The blade pressed hard against the line of her throat.

“I’m sorry…”

With those last words, Karizome Hyoka slowly drew the blade.

In an instant, a delicate, crimson line of blood gushed forth.

It happened so fast that Karizome Tenhyo was lost for words.

He couldn’t comprehend why Karizome Hyoka would do such a thing.

Karizome Hyoka collapsed to the ground.

The life that had been moving just moments before had become a corpse in seconds.

Only when he saw Karizome Hyoka, now a motionless doll of flesh, could Karizome Tenhyo finally force out a sound.

“…Huh?”

But it was a sound of disbelief, not even a word.

With a vacant expression, he stared blankly at Karizome Hyoka’s fallen form.

A stillness passed through Karizome Tenhyo.

In stark contrast, the voices of the crowd rose in a great clamor.

They were voices that mocked the utterly pathetic Karizome Tenhyo.

“Kh, khwahaha!! Look! Did you see it? That face!”

Seeing his empty expression, Onomi Gakugaku pointed and laughed.

The face of Karizome Tenhyo, who had lost everything, was more entertaining than anything else in this world.

As for why this had happened, Onomi Gakugaku was kind enough to answer.

“There’s no fun in just killing you… Far more fun than you getting revenge for your slain comrades…”

He slowly approached Karizome Hyoka.

Taking a large step, he pressed the sole of his boot onto her head.

“Isn’t the ending where your beloved little sister kills herself because of you far more entertaining?”

It had all been an act, orchestrated solely to make Karizome Tenhyo suffer.

The result delighted Onomi Gakugaku and his cronies more than they could have ever expected.

“Ah… eh… Ah!”

Karizome Tenhyo fell to his knees.

He clutched his head, trying to refuse this new reality.

A war raged in his mind, the thoughts “It’s my fault” and “It’s Onomi Gakugaku’s fault” clashing endlessly.

“Well, well, what exactly were you fighting for? You, who fought for Karizome Hyoka—now that Karizome Hyoka is dead, what will you fight for?”

Karizome Tenhyo did not answer Onomi Gakugaku’s question.

He had no obligation to answer.

There was no point in answering.

“Ahh, so tragic, Hyoka. To have your first time stolen by me, to be branded with my name as my property, and in the end, to die because of your own brother…”

His mind was a mess.

All he wanted now was to unleash this feeling.

He gripped his sword once more.

As he rose, he fixed his eyes on the target of his revenge.

He let out a great roar.

It was a wail of pure anguish, one that cost him every other emotion.

“Hah… ahh… g-ahhh, AAAAAAAHHHH!!”

Karizome Tenhyo charged forward, heedless of everything.

Seeing this, Onomi Gakugaku realized how easy he would be to handle and raised his arms.

“No sorcery, no spiritual power, just brute force, eh? In that case, everyone, watch closely! This is the Sundering Sorcery of the Onomi family!!”

He shouted as if he were the star of the stage, generating spiritual power laden with his sorcerous art.

“Sundering Sorcery!!”

With that word, Onomi Gakugaku touched the tip of the sword Karizome Tenhyo was clutching.

The sword was instantly severed, breaking into multiple pieces as if it had been sliced through.

That wasn’t all.

He then swiftly touched Karizome Tenhyo’s body, and as his spiritual power surged, Karizome Tenhyo’s flesh was ripped apart, and he fell into pieces.

(“Dammit… Dammit!!”)

A massive amount of blood poured from the sliced sections of his body.

His body was just about to touch hers when he lost consciousness.

And so, Karizome Tenhyo died, cursing them to the very end.