Soryu Dojo.
The damp scent of earth mixed with fresh air rushed into Akaza's lungs as he stepped into a room he had not seen for hundreds of years.
It was once the room of a human named Hakuji.
On the table sat a wooden carving—a figure of a young woman, carefully shaped from wood. Her delicate features were reflected clearly in his golden eyes.
Akaza stepped forward slowly and gently touched the carving.
He had begun carving it while caring for Koyuki back then… but it had never been finished.
Before he knew it, it felt as though he had returned to that time centuries ago—
To a time before everything had fallen apart.
He stood there in silence, tears falling without end.
...
The weather that day had been unusually clear. The dojo was quiet, filled only with the sound of the wind passing through.
The light footsteps of a young girl made no sound as she quietly approached Hakuji's room.
These past days, Hakuji had been taking care of her constantly. Her illness had weighed heavily on him, despite his gentle nature.
But thanks to his devoted care, she had improved greatly. Once she recovered fully, she would be able to marry him…
At the thought, her heart began to beat a little faster.
She gently pushed the door open and saw Hakuji's back. He was holding a carving knife, focused on shaping a piece of wood.
Koyuki knew what he was doing.
He was carving her.
He had been secretly working on it all this time.
My gentle Hakuji-san! I noticed the surprise you've been planning long ago!
But she pretended not to notice.
When he finally gave it to her, she would act surprised—and she would be very, very happy.
And yet…
Something about him today felt different.
Why had his hair turned that strange shade of pink? Why were his clothes unfamiliar?
"I'll definitely have to ask him about it later…"
She thought quietly to herself as she stood by the doorway and softly greeted him.
"Good morning... Hakuji-san."
Akaza turned around.
The moment he saw the girl standing there, bright and gentle as ever, he rushed forward and pulled her tightly into his arms.
His strong embrace made Koyuki wince slightly in pain.
"Um... Hakuji-san... what... what's wrong?"
To her, he seemed different somehow. Yet he buried his face against her and suddenly began to cry.
Though he had changed in many ways…
He was still her Hakuji.
That feeling—him—had not changed.
"It's alright, Hakuji-san. No matter what happens, Koyuki will always be on your side."
She gently patted his back, her heart filled only with concern.
"I'm… I'm sorry…"
His voice trembled, filled with a deep, overwhelming sense of grief.
"Although... although I don't know what happened, it's okay! Truly. Tell me about it, Hakuji-san. You can tell me anything."
Akaza slowly lifted his head and looked at her.
Her voice, her face—
He couldn't bear to look away, even for a second.
He simply stared at her, unmoving.
"What happened? Today, Hakuji-san seems like a little child. This isn't like you at all!"
"I... I have done many terrible things..."
The memories of the past centuries weighed heavily on him—countless people he had killed, countless lives he had devoured. The burden was so overwhelming that Akaza could barely face it. A part of him wanted to run, to escape from everything.
But the gentle presence of the woman before him made it impossible for him to leave.
Thinking of what had happened—what was destined to happen—his voice trembled.
"You… you and Master… you were both poisoned… killed… and I couldn't…"
He could not continue. Pain crushed his chest as he lowered his head, tears falling uncontrollably.
Before he could finish, a soft pair of hands lifted his face.
Her features, just as they had been in his memories—so clear, so vivid—appeared before him once more. Her gentle eyes held no blame, no resentment.
Only warmth.
Only compassion.
Even though Hakuji had changed—changed into something frightening—there was not a trace of fear in her gaze.
"I believe you did your best, Hakuji."
Her hand gently smoothed the deep furrow in his brow, as if trying to ease the pain etched into his expression.
"How did you end up like this? Hakuji-san, you must have suffered so much."
"I…"
He looked up at her blankly, tears continuing to fall as she softly wiped them away.
"I… became a demon."
He raised his head, his voice filled with anguish.
"I failed at everything. I didn't follow my father's final wish. I betrayed master's teachings. And I couldn't protect you…"
"I didn't do anything right. I'm useless… completely useless."
"You've already done enough. You've done so well."
The girl gently touched his brow, leaning her forehead lightly against his face.
"So you became a demon. It doesn't matter. Does becoming a demon mean you have to go to Hell? It's alright, don't be afraid, my Hakuji-san. I will be with you forever. I will stay by your side always."
Koyuki gently took his hand, her small fingers intertwining with his.
Her fingers brushed against the rough calluses on his palm. Lowering her head, she looked at them with quiet sorrow.
"My Hakuji-san must have endured so much pain, right? You must have suffered so many wrongs. I couldn't share that burden with you, but... I will always be with you. Always... and I will always be waiting for you."
Her voice slowly faded.
Little by little, her figure disappeared from the reflection in Akaza's golden eyes.
Everything… began to fade.
And yet, that warmth remained—lingering against his skin, lingering within his lost and wandering heart.
At some point—
The sun had risen.
Gentle sunlight spread from the eastern horizon, falling upon Akaza.
He stood up and quietly remained beneath the first light of dawn, lifting his head to gaze at the newborn sun.
In that moment—
It was as if he saw hell itself.
He saw a girl standing within blazing flames, her body bathed in fire.
She stood there calmly, smiling softly at him, her gaze filled with warmth.
Akaza did not hesitate.
He stepped forward.
The flames of hell burned against his body, seeking to reduce his sin-stained existence to ash.
But he paid it no mind.
Walking through the fire, he approached Koyuki, who stood within the flames, and gently took her hand.
His golden eyes, filled with longing, fixed on her as tears streamed down his face.
The gentle girl rose onto her toes and reached out with soft hands, tenderly wiping the tears from his eyes.
Beneath the sunlight—
The body of the demon began to fade.
As the flames of hell consumed him, Akaza gently lifted Koyuki onto his back and carried her, walking deeper into the burning abyss.
In that moment—
He was no longer the powerful Upper Rank Three.
He was simply—
A man named Hakuji.
And he was carrying a girl named Koyuki, walking along the path that led back to the Soryu Dojo.
Warm sunlight brushed against him.
The familiar road was lined with blooming flowers.
The weight of the girl on his back felt just as it had in his memories—light as a feather, yet heavy in his heart.
Everything—
Was just like it had once been.
...
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